


A Sadness Runs Through Him

by sunnyskipper



Series: DREAMSMP ONE-SHOTS / SHORT STORIES [3]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, DreamSMP s3, Exile arc mentioned, Gen, Mentioned TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Protective Sam | Awesamdude
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-14 00:01:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29037531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunnyskipper/pseuds/sunnyskipper
Summary: When watching over Dream at the prison, Sam learns of the terrible treatment Tommy endured during his exile, and the culprit is right before him, smiling as he casually tells the story out of boredom.
Series: DREAMSMP ONE-SHOTS / SHORT STORIES [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2159262
Kudos: 119





	A Sadness Runs Through Him

The first day after Tubbo had Tommy exiled from L'manberg, Sam visited him at his new home. He gave him some pumpkin pie and offered him residence at his house, away from L'manberg where he'd be safe. He only had Ghostbur by his side, and barely even a roof over his head, a small wool tent. He'd lost everthing and it's the least he could give him. He's only a boy, who's already been through so much... he'd had high hopes for the new L'manberg, a new beginning, but reality already came crashing down. Conflict was tearing it apart, until soon enough, there'll be nothing left but shambles of its former glory. 

He never saw Tommy again. Not during his exile, at least, until he returned to exile the day before Doomsday, when the Community House mysterious got blown up and Dream pinned the blame on him, and everyone went along with it. No one dared go against him, only to be ultimately betrayed by him mere minutes later. 

He'd blown up L'manberg alongside Techno and Phil, then plotted to fight ( and kill ) Tubbo and Tommy, and he would have gotten away with it if Punz hadn't grouped everyone together, and ambushed Dream's hideout. In present time, they successfully locked the tyrant away, and he could no longer control everyone like mindless puppets, tugging at their strings. They'd cut themselves free. 

Hopefully, it's permanent. 

Sam built the prison himself, and he knew there's no way Dream could escape. Not on his own, at least, but as the Warden of the establishment, it's his duty to make sure no one suspicious can get anywhere near him. With the game master locked away, the citizens of a broken nation were free to do whatever they please, as long as it stays peaceful. It's the beginning of a new era, one of freedom. No more corrupted Governments, or bloodshed. 

It's his job to keep that intact. As of right now, he's on his way to check up on Dream, he's hasn't even been here for a full day yet. He watched as the lava drained, and he stepped onto the platform. Since he's on his own, there's no one else to pull the lever which would replenish the lava and bring back the platform. So, hypothetically if Dream were to somehow free himself and get pass him, he could make it back but there'd still be many puzzles awaiting him. However, he knows about them all.

Dream's cell was isolated from everything else, a sea of lava beneath. He had a clock, a lectern, a chest full of books, a cauldron full of water and more water placed in the corner for him to fall into whenever he dies. Without a doubt, he's already trying to come up with an escape plan. 

Sam didn't have much to say, he didn't wish to hear his reasoning, if he even had any. All the chaos ties directly back to him, and how he's finally receiving his long overdue punishment. 

"Oh, I have a visitor," he hummed. He sat in the cornerwith a book open, which he dropped and walked over to the bars, a small smile on his face. The mask he always wore was cracked, revealing a portion of the left side of his face. "What do I owe the honour?" He greeted, holding onto the bars he tilted his head. 

He's unafraid, he's cocky, but eventually, like everyone, he'll crack. 

Sam leaned to the side, looking around his cell room. "I'm not interested, Dream, I just came to make sure you don't plan on escaping," he said nonchalantly, trident in his hand. He heard Dream sigh dramatically, leaning against the cell bars, and Sam narrowed his eyes. "You deserve to be locked up here, and you can expect to be staying here a long, long time," he turned to leave, having no interest in chatting. 

But with his back turned, Dream tapped on the bars, catching his attention. He rested his head against his arm, and that look on his face spelled trouble. "Oh, come on, Sammy, you don't want to sit and chat with your old buddy, even for a minute? I'm sure you aren't busy. Your only job is to look over me, right?" 

Sam narrowed his eyes, his grip on his trident tightening. "You're mistaken, I have other things I'd rather work on, but I can't risk leaving you out of my sight, for now." He turned his head away, and took one step before Dream interrupted him, a sly grin crossing his face. 

"Oh, so you don't want to hear about what Tommy went through? What he wanted me to tell you all when he had me trapped?" He asked, straightening his posture. "You're not even... the slightest bit curious? It's quite entertaining, I must say."

A few seconds of silence passed, as Sam stood still with his back turned to Dream. He thought for a moment, recalling how Tommy yelled at Dream back when they confronted him, and he insisted Dream tell everyone what he'd told him and Tubbo, and what happened during exile. He glanced over his shoulder at Dream, who met his gaze and awaited an answer. Just what game was he playing at? 

He reluctantly faced him, "and why would you do that? Make yourself look more guilty?" He questioned, voice stern. After how long of knowing him, building this prison _for_ him, there were still a long list of things he didn't understand about him. He's a strange, twisted individual, and he'd had his suspicions before, but everything coming to light revealed some inner workings of his mind. 

There were still many questions left unsaid, and they'll likely remain that way. 

Dream shrugged, and took a step back. His hands were left uncuffed, a decision Sam acted warily upon. "Like you said, I'm locked up in here and have no way of escaping. What else do I have left to lose?" 

Sam didn't like this. The carefree phrasing of his words, that look on his face, it was almost unsettling. He can just back away and leave, but then he wouldn't know the truth, if that's what he'll say. He can easily lie, but why would he do that to paint himself even more of a villain? He's behind the bars, he's unarmed, there's nothing he can do. Yet, it'd be foolish to completely lower his guard. 

So, treading cautiously he approached him. "Alright, then, tell me. What happened in exile?" 

He cracked a grin that Sam glared at. Dream sat down by the bars, and Sam hesitantly did the same, he just wanted to hear what happened to Tommy, he's not playing along to whatever game he's hosting. He waited a second, then two, and three. Just as he opened his mouth to protest and was about to stand up, Dream spoke. 

He's toying with him, as to be expected. "I convinced him I was his friend," he stated, regaining Sam's attention, he settled back down. Dream rested his head on his palm, and recalled the events as if reminiscing. "He only had that stupid ghost of Wilbur by his side, and once in a while a few people would pay a visit when I wasn't around. He hated me at first, understandably, I mean I made him throw all his stuff into a hole every morning and blew it up with TNT."

Sam remembered Tommy doing that to Dream, ordering him to take off all his armor and drop everything. He'd acted with frustration, he said that Dream made his life a living hell, and he'd pretty much done that towards everyone. No one knew the true context of it, the depth and emotion. 

Sam stayed silent, and listened. 

Dream seemed curious by this, shifting his position so he leaned his back against the wall, hands casually behind his head as he relaxed. "Slowly, I got him right where I wanted him, tied around my finger. I pretended to be his friend, and he started to believe me," he went on, his smile becoming more visible. "Then, I let him arrange this beach party he could invite everyone to, since he couldn't visit L'manberg and he was so... excited about it. He had Ghostbur make invitations and everything," he paused, shifting his attention to Sam.

Who, after giving it a moment, spoke up. He doesn't remember anything about a beach party. "And...? What happened next?"

The devilish look crossing Dream's face honestly caught him off guard a little. He smirked, "as Ghostbur was handing out the invitations, I told him I'd handle it, took all the invitations and sent him off to go wandering in the middle of nowhere. He melts when water touches him, you know? It started raining, and there's this snowy biome near Logsted, the little establishment Tommy made and... well, you already know what I had planned. Didn't work, though, unfortunately."

Oh.

The image of the friendly ghost's face popped into his mind, smiling. Unlike Wilbur, while knowing that most people disliked him, he went out of his way to be nice to everyone, trying to fix his wrongs and make amends. He meant no harm to anyone, only wanting to do what he can to spread happiness. His grip on his trident tightened.

Dream appeared amused, stifling back a small laugh, he looked away, staring at a wall. "So, no one showed up. You should have _seen_ the look on Tommy's face, absolutely devastated. It was great. I played along, pretending like I didn't know anything, only I showed up, everyone else rejected the invite and left him alone. I'm the only person he could trust, no one else cared about him."

Oh. Now, he can see where this is going.

"With Ghostbur gone, he only had me to depend on. He cut everyone else out, and I became his only friend. Like my own little puppet, he was under my control... it was so _easy._ You should've seen him, a shell of his former self, he even tried jumping into lava once."

His thoughts cut off there.

He... he what?

He's on his last life, and he tried jumping into lava, knowing that...

"He was getting a little out of control, I needed to teach him a lesson and so, I blew it all up. Logstedshire, I mean, he planned on fighting back and thought I wouldn't find out. Then he ran off, joined Techno and escaped─" Dream's words were cut off, Sam grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and yanked him back, his face pressed against the bars. He struggled to free himself, "hey! What do you think you're doing?"

Sam's grip tightened, his knuckle turning white. His words replayed in his head; _"a shell of his former self, he tried jumping into lava."_

As many know, Sam is not a violent person. He's rather calm, and seen as one of the most friendliest people, but anyone would understand his reasoning for lowering the cell bars, just to punch him in the face. The impact sent Dream stumbling back, his mask falling off, he held his bleeding nose as the cell bars went back up and Sam stood there, cracking his knuckles. He spoke with venom in his words, "I thought you were horrible enough already. Now, I am going to make sure you will never see the light of day, whatever it takes." 

Dream wiped the blood from his nose, and chuckled. He crouched down and picked up his cracked mask, putting it back on. 

Resisting the urge to throw another punch, Sam backed onto the platform and it retracted, bringing him back. He kept his eyes on Dream the entire time, but he just stood there, smiling, and waved. The platform slot back into place with a 'clunk' and he stepped off and not removing his eyes from Dream, switched the lever and brought back the lava. 

Dream stared back at him until they lost sight of each other, and Sam released the breath he unknowingly held in. He leaned against the wall, thinking back to how Tommy acted and appeared the first time he visited him in exile, and the most recent time he's seen him, at the big fight. His reasoning for taking two of his canon lives made more sense than ever, and yet he hesitated to take the last one, and permanently get him out of his life. Only because he could have Wilbur back. 

Sam came to one devastating conclusion as Dream's words repeated in his head, he spoke so casually and lightheartedly, as if it wasn't that big of a deal. But that smile, that grin and smirk and glint in his eyes... he found it, and Sam's reaction, amusing. That's why he told him, to see how he'd react. 

This kid's been through far, far too much.

And he's going to make sure things are much easier from now on. He swears on it. 


End file.
